The Quebec Liberals wrapped up their two-day caucus meeting in St-Hyacinthe Wednesday as a poll indicates that Premier Jean Charest is in the driver's seat among decided voters.
The Crop-La Presse survey taken earlier this month indicates that the Liberals had 44 per cent support compared with 33 per cent for the Parti Quebecois.
Charest's personal approval rating was also extremely high, sitting at 51 per cent despite the economic downturn.
What's more, the survey suggests the Liberals were creeping up on the PQ in outlying regions that are normally bastions of Quebec nationalism and sovereignty.
Caution
Liberals exiting the caucus meeting on Wednesday were cautious given that summer polls are notoriously very unreliable.
Finance Minister Raymond Bachand suggested Quebec's economy, which had been somewhat insulated from the recession, played a role in the survey results.
"Quebecers do realize, as all economists do realize, that the Quebec economy is pulling through this recession better than the other economies," he said, adding: "91 per cent of workers are at work."
Norman Macmillan, the minister for transport, was a bit more effusive about the poll.
"I think what we said at the start after the election, what we were going to do, we are doing it."
The legislature resumes in the middle of September.
Premier Charest doesn't have to call another election until 2013.
